On the feast of St. Francis: Peace comes by embracing the cross, Pope says at Assisi

Assisi, Italy, Oct 4, 2013 / 04:18 am (CNA).- During his visit to Assisi, Pope Francis told Mass attendees that true peace can only be attained by drawing close to the crucified Lord, stressing the importance of having a relationship with him.

“What is the peace which (Saint) Francis received, experienced and lived, and which he passes on to us? It is the peace of Christ, which is born of the greatest love of all, the love of the cross,” he said.

Pope Francis celebrated his Oct. 4 Mass for the pilgrims who joined him in the town of Assisi to celebrate the feast of his patron, St. Francis of Assisi.

At the beginning of his pontificate, the Holy Father revealed in a special audience with journalists that he chose the name “Francis” because of remarks made to him immediately after his election, in which some of his brother cardinals urged him not to forget the poor.

The pontiff began his reflections on the life of the Saint, who was born the son of a wealthy fabric merchant, by recalling how his encounter with Jesus inspired him to resign his inheritance and to embrace a life of poverty.

“In all of Francis' life,” the Pope noted, “love for the poor and the imitation of Christ in his poverty were inseparably united, like the two sides of a coin.”

Deepening his reflection into the life of the saint, the Pope urged those in attendance to question what sort of witness Francis gave, not just in his words, but more importantly in his life.